–what a sunny day in mid-November means for the main dacha house, a passive-solar, earth-bermed structure, and its inhabitants.

The sun is out after vacationing elsewhere for almost a week, and its brightening things up over here in many ways. Let’s review.

1. It’s heating up the floor and the room. For the first time in days we have not had the wood stove on and those of us at home wore t-shirts. We might not have to heat tonight either, b/c of residual warmth emanating from the floor and walls.